Senatorial candidate Francis “Chiz” Escudero commended the Bureau of Customs on April 4 for the seizure of corals, saying it is necessary to show that the government is serious about protecting the country’s ocean resources.
Commissioner Napoleon Morales was reported to have announced the confiscation of red and white corals from M/V Princess of the Universe, while the ship was docked at the North Harbor. The corals, said to be worth P10 million, are to be made into jewelry accessory or used as aquarium display.
The senatorial candidate urged the seizures as well as the ship and the prosecution of the smugglers, as well as officials of the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Zamboanga City, who have cleared the shipment.
“At first glance,” Escudero said, “the offense looks minor, but the illegal practice results in the destruction of the coral reefs that serve as spawning grounds from countless number of fish species.”
He noted that hardly a day passes without the Coast Guard announcing the apprehension of Chinese poachers in Philippine waters. He thus appealed to the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, to make the necessary representation with the People’s Republic of China to stop the intrusion.
According to Escudero, poachers don’t confine themselves to coral harvesting. He pointed out that foreign fishermen train residents of coastal communities in the use of cyanide to stun fish but not enough to kill them. He explained that live exotic fish, prepared and cooked before customers, command a high price in specialty restaurants in Hong Kong.
“Of all crimes against the environment, the rape of the coral reefs is the most insidious,” Escudero pointed out. “From the air you can readily see the trees being felled in the forest. Nobody realizes the destruction taking place at the bottom of the sea until it is too late.
He said Philippines, being an archipelago, cannot afford the destruction of the sea on which it depends fro its continued existence. He urged the government to conduct an educational campaign in coastal communities. He added that people must be told that the steady decline of their fish catch ore the years can be traced to cyanide and dynamite fishing methods.
“A recent report tells us we are most vulnerable to the effects of the global warming phenomenon” Escudero said.
“If we do not protect our natural resources, we will perish long before the rising waters from the melting icecaps drown all of us.”
